Basic Enlisted Submarine School

Basic Enlisted Submarine School
Name	Basic Enlisted Submarine School
Established	20th century
Type	Training establishment
Dean	N/A
City	Groton
State	Connecticut
Country	United States

Basic Enlisted Submarine School

Basic Enlisted Submarine School is a naval training establishment that prepares enlisted sailors for submarine service, emphasizing seamanship, engineering, and damage control. The program integrates practical instruction, simulation, and hands‑on experience to ready recruits for assignment to fleet submarines, ballistic missile submarines, and guided‑missile submarines. Graduates typically proceed to specialized "A" schools or submarine crews aboard classes such as Los Angeles-class submarine, Ohio-class submarine, Virginia-class submarine, and legacy units like USS Nautilus (SSN-571).

History

Basic Enlisted Submarine School traces its lineage to early 20th‑century undersea warfare training developed alongside vessels like Holland (SS-1) and programs inspired by pioneers including Simon Lake, John Holland (engineer), and institutions such as United States Naval Academy. The school evolved through periods marked by major events: expansion during World War I, doctrinal shifts in the interwar period influenced by figures like Chester W. Nimitz and technological advances following World War II and the Cold War. Cold War imperatives from incidents such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and platforms like USS George Washington (SSBN-598) prompted growth in submarine enlisted training capacity. Post‑Cold War reforms reflected lessons from operations including Operation Desert Storm and technological integration inspired by programs at Naval Sea Systems Command and Naval Submarine Base New London. Institutional milestones align with policies from Department of Defense and directives from commanders associated with Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet and Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Curriculum and Training Modules

The curriculum emphasizes core modules: submarine fundamentals, reactor plant familiarization, hull systems, electrical systems, and damage control. Instructional content references class systems such as Los Angeles-class submarine, Seawolf-class submarine, Virginia-class submarine, and reactor concepts informed by operators of USS Nautilus (SSN-571) and research at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. Practical training includes pressure chamber exposure aligned with standards influenced by United States Navy Diving and Salvage doctrine and emergency breathing apparatus procedures developed with input from Naval Undersea Warfare Center. Navigation and piloting segments incorporate theory used by crews aboard USS Nautilus (SSN-571), USS Nautilus (SSN-571), and doctrines taught at Naval War College. Damage control drills reference historical cases such as USS Thresher (SSN-593) and modernization initiatives from Naval Sea Systems Command. Classrooms use simulators similar to those developed under contracts with General Dynamics Electric Boat and research from Massachusetts Institute of Technology affiliates.

Facilities and Location

Primary facilities are co‑located with submarine bases and shore stations exemplified by Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, with training spaces, mock‑up compartments, and engineering trainers. Support infrastructure parallels installations at Naval Station Norfolk, Bremerton Naval Shipyard, and testing ranges used by entities like Naval Undersea Warfare Center. Facilities include recompression chambers comparable to those at Naval Hospital Groton and decontamination bays reflecting standards from Naval Facilities Engineering Command. Onsite partnerships have included contractors such as General Dynamics and educational affiliates like Connecticut College and United States Naval Academy for technical exchanges and research collaboration.

Personnel and Instructor Qualifications

Instructors are typically enlisted senior rates and warrant officers with prior submarine sea tours, qualifications such as Submarine Warfare Insignia wear, and certifications from schools administered by Naval Education and Training Command and Naval Sea Systems Command. Senior instructors often hold experience from assignments aboard Los Angeles-class submarine, Ohio-class submarine, or Seawolf-class submarine, and may have completed advanced courses at Naval War College or technical programs at Naval Nuclear Power School. Qualifications include demonstrated proficiency in reactor plant operations consistent with credentials from Nuclear Power Training Unit programs and documented completion of instructor development courses overseen by Center for Naval Leadership. Peer review and promotion boards often involve flag officers from Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

Selection, Eligibility, and Graduation Requirements

Selection and eligibility follow enlistment pathways administered by Bureau of Naval Personnel and recruiting standards set by United States Navy Recruiting Command. Candidates must meet medical screening criteria aligned with policies from Navy Medicine and enlistment standards influenced by legislation such as the Armed Forces Qualification Test administration and occupational classification under Navy Enlisted Classification. Training progression requires performance in written examinations, practical evaluations, and watchstanding competencies consistent with qualification routes aboard Los Angeles-class submarine and other classes. Graduation certifies readiness for submarine assignment and often precedes transfer to specialized "A" schools or immediate reporting to units including Submarine Squadron 2 or Submarine Group 10.

Safety, Emergency Drills, and Medical Screening

Safety training emphasizes escape procedures, fire suppression, flooding control, and nuclear plant safeguards developed in response to incidents like USS Thresher (SSN-593) and policy frameworks from Nuclear Regulatory Commission‑informed standards applied within Navy Medicine. Emergency drills simulate scenarios for hull breach, ballast control failures, and casualty care using protocols from Naval Undersea Warfare Center and medical guidance from Naval Hospital Groton. Medical screening includes audiology, cardiology, and pulmonary evaluation following criteria promulgated by Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and clearance processes tied to nuclear duty standards from Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

Category:United States Navy training